3rd World Congress on Nursing, Healthcare & Allied Health (Hybrid Event)

Biography

Dr. Amelita Woodruff is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is Director of DEI for the Division of Hospital Medicine. She has published articles, developed curriculum, and researched topics including trauma-informed care, health disparities in disadvantaged populations, mitigating implicit bias, and improving delivery of trauma-informed care to vulnerable patients, such as incarcerated patients and forced migrants. She is Medical Director of the HEAL Refugee Health and Asylum Clinic, which expands access to legal, medical, and mental health services to forced migrants and immigrant survivors of torture seeking refuge in the U.S.  She completed her Residency and Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.

Research Interest

Healthcare professionals increasingly care for patients whose health outcomes are shaped by trauma, structural inequities, forced migration, racism, discrimination, and adverse healthcare experiences. Traditional cultural competency training often focuses on acquiring knowledge about cultural groups but may inadequately address the effects of trauma, implicit bias, and power dynamics that influence clinical interactions. Integrating trauma-informed care with cultural humility offers a more comprehensive framework for delivering equitable, person-centered care while reducing re-traumatization and strengthening therapeutic relationships.